Video games are an interesting medium. They often require significantly more attention than watching a show, but possibly less attention than reading a book. I had fallen away from playing games for a while, but (especially during lockdown) returned to them. The way one can tell a story through a game is remarkable, especially when a game can tell multiple stories based on the actions of a player. It would be easy to write this off as the simple choose-your-own-adventure novelty, but the immersion of the game (and the time that it takes to choose different actions) create a grander effect.
One challenge of video games (and all art forms, and activities) is that there just is not enough time in the world to play them all. It does make a case for the importance of video game reviewers (and other reviewers and editors) who manage to sift through mountains of mediocrity to inform us what will be great. Like other art forms, a key question is whether you can enjoy a great work, even if it is not your favorite genre. I tend to choose a variety of games, and I have a hard time deciding what "style" of game I prefer. In the end, it is an engaging story combined with some enjoyment of the mechanics that usually results in me having that drive to play for a bit longer. Somehow this is also coordinated with being able to save in a relatively easy fashion (otherwise the game extends for hours when I have only a few minutes to play).
Ultimately, the main point of this thought is to give some context to why I miss so many posts. I am too busy trying to play all of the great games that were released for the Switch.